Rays Of Innocence
by adagio11
Summary: [FINAL CHAPTER UP!]She’d learn that in this world, innocence was almost forgotten [Tate] Chapter 13: Still so much alike
1. Aching

**Rays of Innocence**

**Summary: **She'd learn that in this world, innocence was almost forgotten.

**Pairing: **Kate and Tony

**Rating: **Angst/romance

**Disclaimer: **I hate to say this but I don't own NCIS. I only own the plot

**A/N: **This is a post Heart Break story. They're airing reruns now and I watched Heart Break yesterday. One of my favourite episodes.

_Chapter 1 - Aching_

Kate wiped her tears and turned off the lights down in Autopsy. These days had been a complete nightmare. And it had reached its culmination when she'd shot Evan Hayes. Tapping her foot against the concrete floor, she pressed the button to the elevator. Soon the doors slid open and she stepped in. She knew she should go home and get some sleep but she couldn't. She wasn't tired. She tried to fight back the tears while she pressed the button that would take her back to the bullpen.

To her surprise she found it almost empty. Gibbs had left, McGee was nowhere to be seen and neither Ducky nor Abby was there. The only one who was still there was Tony. He seemed to be very focused on his report. Kate prayed to God that he wouldn't decide to make another snide remark tonight. But well, he was DiNozzo.

"Is Harrison picking you up?" He said teasingly as she walked into the bullpen. She didn't care to reply. Tony now looked up. She hadn't said anything back. For a moment he almost regretted his comment. Kate'd had a tough couple of days. He shouldn't be teasing her.

"What about Paula?" Kate said in a low voice.

"She won't answer my calls" Tony replied simply. "So…Harrison is not coming to pick you up?" _Damn it DiNozzo. You should just leave her alone!_´ Kate sighed and once again fought the tears. She hated to cry, she didn't cry often but today…

"No, DiNozzo, he's not!" she fired coldly at him. Tony looked up at met her gaze. To his horror her eyes was glazed with tears.

"I should go" Kate said and quickly gathered her stuff. Without throwing a glance at Tony, she left the bullpen. Tony just looked after her and jumped when he heard the elevator doors slam shut behind her. He sighed. _Damn you, DiNozzo. Why can't you never leave her alone?_´ To that, Tony had an answer but no one, not even himself would accept it. He felt like a jerk for teasing her when she was in such a bad mood. Making a quick decision he grabbed his coat and ran for the elevator.

He didn't catch up with her until he reached the parking lot. She walked a few feet before him.

"Hey, Kate. Wait!" he shouted after her and ran across the parking lot. She didn't stop, but she slowed down her pace.

"What do you want, DiNozzo?" she said and prepared herself for another joke. She turned around and didn't bother to wipe her tears that were now falling down her face. Tony stopped only a few inches away from her.

"Kate, wait. I'm…I'm sorry. For being such a jerk…" he apologized. But Kate didn't seem to buy it. She just eyed him skeptically. "I'm not in the mood, Tony" she mumbled and turned around and began to walk away again. Once again Tony caught up with her and grabbed her arm.

"Tony, don't! Let go of me. Now" His eyes met hers and he was taken aback what he saw. Anybody could have seen the hurt, exhaustion and pain in her eyes. Slowly he loosened his grip.

"I'm sorry, Kate"

"I know, so am I" she said firmly and then walked off. This time Tony didn't run after her. He watched her reach her car, get in and race out of the parking lot. With a sight he walked for his own car. As he took seat he couldn't help but feel a little bit hurt. She hadn't taken him serious. She'd just walked off and given him that sceptical look she always wore when he did something what everybody else called "inappropriate". But he guessed he couldn't blame him. He wasn't exactly the most reliable person. He sighed, the image of the pain in Kate's eyes still lingering on his mind.


	2. Regret

**Disclaimer: Not mine! **

**A/N: Please R&R!

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_Chapter 2 – Regret_

When Kate got home she walked straight into her bedroom and changed out of her clothes. She put on an old t-shirt and then walked into the bathroom. She stopped in front of the mirror and watched herself. Her tears had dried and her make-up had run. Sighing she turned on the faucet and washed her face. Her eyes were still rimmed with red. As she dried her face with a towel, Tony's face made its way into her mind. His face when she'd snapped at him before leaving him standing there on the parking lot.

Kate knew he'd wanted to help. And it hurt her too that she didn't know if she could trust him with that. She grabbed a blanket from the cabinet and brought it with her out to the living room where she curled up on the sofa. Her mind wandered back to the night when they'd found Evan, sitting alone by the pool, fiddling with the gun in his hands. He was just a kid. He couldn't had been older than 20. She'd reacted within two seconds. A moment later, he'd been lying on the ground. Her round had hit him in the chest. More tears formed in her eyes and fell down onto her blanket. She shot an innocent man…

She wanted to be able to talk. But talking had never been her thing. Just blurt everything out wasn't something that she felt was doing anything better. But now, for the first time she felt that she needed to talk, to vent. She immediately thought of Abby. Abby always knew what to say. Kate picked up her phone and dialled Abby's number. Just as she should press the call button she remembered that Abby had a date tonight. She was probably not home. Sighing, Kate put down the phone again. Reluctantly she let Tony into her mind again. It wasn't until she'd raced out of the parking lot, that's she realized that he'd been sincere. The look in his eyes wasn't mischief, it was care and worry.

Kate immediately regretted her outburst. He was for once, only trying to help. And she'd snapped at him. God, today was definitely not her day! And messing up her relationship with Tony was bad. Worse then she would admit. Kate threw a glance at the digital clock on her DVD player. 22:41. If she knew him right he would still be up. Slowly she picked up the phone and dialled the only number she knew by heart.

As he came home, Tony went straight to the TV. This was the only thing that used to take his mind off things, at least for a while. He picked up the remote and began channel surfing. He only channel surfed when he was too deep in thought to be able to focus on a single TV program. He sighed. Apparently, watching TV wouldn't help tonight. Dejected, he lay down on his couch and stared at the ceiling.

Kate didn't trust him. It hurt like a kick in the gut. Her trust had always meant a lot to him. It had developed naturally during this time she'd worked with them. But apparently, it only ruled at work. Not outside. When she'd met his gaze before taking off, her eyes had said it all. Hurt, pain, confusion. Everything. He didn't need to be a trained profiler to read her eyes.

Then he must have fallen asleep, cause when he opened his eyes he jerked up from the couch. Trying to locate the sound. His cell phone. He found his cell on the floor and quickly flipped it open without checking the caller ID.

"DiNozzo" he said indifferently into the phone. He heard someone breathe in the other end of the line and then a small voice.

"Tony, it's Kate"

Now he was fully awake. Kate. "Hi…um. What's wrong?" To his horror a soft sob reached his ear.

"I'm sorry, Tony. For earlier. I need to talk to you. Maybe…you could come over?" she said a bit hesitantly. Despite everything, Tony smiled. He hadn't lost her trust completely.

"I'll be there in ten minutes" he said softly.

"Okay. Bye" she said in a low voice. "And Tony?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you" Then she hung up. Tony stared at the phone for a moment before rushing out the door.

**A/N: So, please review and tell me what you think! Should I continue this one?**


	3. I'm sorry

Disclaimer: See previous page 

**A/N: Please R&R!**

**A/N 2: Just a small note; I guess this whole story is set between the episodes Heart Break and Forced Entry.

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_Chapter 3 – I'm sorry_

As he promised, Tony parked his car outside her apartment ten minutes later. Quickly he turned off the ignition and got out. Without hesitation he knocked on the door. After a few moments Kate appeared in the doorway. She looked extremely exhausted, only wearing an old t-shirt and a blanked draped around her shoulders.

"Hey, come in" she said tiredly. She stepped aside and let him enter. "Um…thanks for coming" she said as he took off his coat and shoes.

He followed her into her living room. Her TV was on but she'd turned off the sound. Kate curled up on the sofa with her blanket and gestured for Tony to sit down next to her. An uncomfortable silence lay between them before Kate cleared her throat.

"Tony, I'm sorry for what happened…earlier. I didn't mean it…" she began. "I'm so sorry" she added and turned down her face.

"Hey, it's okay, Kate" he said softly and moved a bit closer but was still looking the other way. "Kate?" he tried carefully. When she didn't look up he moved to sit closer and gently tipped her face up. She was crying.

A pang of hurt went through his body. Kate's eyes still held the same pain as they had earlier.

"He was innocent, Tony. I shot him. Point blank. I _killed _him, Tony!" she cried and silent tears rolled down her face.  
"Kate, you did nothing wrong. You know that"

"But he was _innocent_, Tony!" she cried. "He hadn't done a thing…and I shot him!" She began to sob and Tony enveloped her in his arms.

"Hey, it's okay. You heard what Gibbs said. It was suicide by cop. It was _not _your fault, Kate" He felt her relax and lean into his arms.

They sat like that for a while, Kate crying against his chest. "In this job, it's like we're looking past that people might be innocent. We always take for granted that they're guilty because they show up on a surveillance tape" she said after a while. "Imagine being accused for something just because you happened to be on a certain place on a certain time!"

Tony only nodded. She had a point there. They always took for granted that people were guilty. Their motto was almost Guilty until definitely proven innocent´ instead of the classical _Innocent until proven guilty. _

"Thanks for coming. And thanks for listening" Kate said slowly and wiped her eyes. She looked up at him and met his eyes.

A few moments later he began to lean closer and when she closed her eyes and leaned closer as well, he then took it as an approval to kiss her. He slowly captured her lips with his own. She kissed him back, moving even closer to him. Deep inside Tony knew this wasn't right. She was upset and things would only get even more complicated. Tony made an attempt to break the kiss but Kate was also the one to pull away. She nervously glanced at her feet.

"Kate?"

"Um…maybe you should go…I'm sorry" she mumbled and quickly slid out of his arms and stood up, wrapping the blanket closer around her.

"But Kate…"

"No, Tony. Please, go" she pleaded almost desperately when a few more tears gathered in her eyes.

"Kate…-"

"No! Tony, please! Leave" she said through her tears. Defeated, Tony stood up and walked to the door. He put on his shoes and grabbed his coat.

"Kate, I'm sorry but…-"

"Tony, don't, please. I'll see you tomorrow" she said with a low voice and then closed the door before him.

Out on the street, Tony frustrated walked down to his car. Angrily he slammed his hand against the hood on his car.

"Damn it!" Now things were really messed up.

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**A/N: So, how was that? To much angst? Should I still continue this story?**


	4. The Day from Hell

Disclaimer: You know the drill by now 

**A/N: Please please review!! I really love your reviews

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_Chapter 4 – The day from hell_

When Tony woke up the next day he actually considered calling in sick. The way things had gone with Kate last night didn't really make him happy about going to work. Reluctantly, Tony began to understand Gibbs' rule 12. When relationships failed between agents, the whole team would suffer the consequences. Even though he didn't want to, Tony soon found himself dressed and on his way out to the car. This was going to be a long day. Longer than the previous ones.

Kate was already sitting at her desk when he arrived. No traces of her emotional break down from last night. Her make up was perfect applied and she looked like nothing happened the night before. But Tony soon changed his mind when she didn't look up and greet him with a smile, like she always did. His heart immediately sank. She wouldn't even look at him.

When Gibbs stepped into the bullpen with his coffee he immediately sensed the tension between the agents. McGee didn't seem to be bothered; he kept working in his report. Gibbs eyed his other agents as he sat down by his desk.

He noticed how Kate pretended to read something in her file but Gibbs could tell that she only stared at the text without taking it in. Gibbs then turned his head to Tony who pretended to read something on his computer screen but Gibbs caught him glancing at Kate every five minutes. He sighed and the first thing that popped into his mind was; rule number 12.

The day passed in the same style. Kate and Tony throwing glances at each other. Gibbs also noticed how they didn't exchange on single word that day. He sighed. This was what he'd been afraid of. This was a thousand times worse than their banter. Now the team would suffer because of their mistake. He knew romance between agents never worked. And now he had proof. Double proof so to say.

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When the clock struck six pm, Kate was the first one to turn off her computer and leave without a word. Gibbs caught Tony throwing a worried glance at Kate's back before going back to his file. Gibbs groaned inwards. This was hell. This would never work on the field. But he would give them one chance to fix it, before he would get involved in this circus. 

Ten minutes later Tony took off too. Hopefully to talk to Kate, Gibbs thought as he watched Tony get into the elevator and leave.

As fast as the elevator doors closed behind him Tony leaned back against the wall and sighed. This day had been hell on Earth. Kate hadn't looked or spoken to him. Not a word. This was bad. He knew Gibbs had noticed their behaviour. They had to fix it before Gibbs did something stupid. Like firing one of them. Or putting them on different teams. Tony pressed the button and sighed as the elevator descended. When the doors slid open he stepped out and walked for the forensics lab as he silently prayed that Kate wouldn't be there.

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**A/N: How was that? Horrible? Boring? OOC? Please tell me:D**


	5. The Wisdom of Abby

Disclaimer: Not mine 

**A/N: Here's the fifth chapter. Please review!

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_Chapter 5 – The wisdom of Abby _

To his relief, Kate wasn't down with Abby. Tony walked straight over to a chair and slumped down. This was the only thing he could think of, of doing right now. Abby knew Kate better than anyone else. She would have an answer.

"Tony, hi. What brings you here this late?" Abby said cheerfully and swivelled around in her chair.

"Kate"

"What? Did Kate tell you to come down here?" Abby said puzzled. She could see from the expression on Tony's face that it was something serious that had brought him here.

"No, no. It's just…" he trailed off. After taking a few deep breaths he told her. Everything. About Evan, the phone call, him going over to her place, the kiss, what had happened today.

"Oh shit" was all Abby said when he finished.

"Yeah I know. God, I don't know what to do. If we continue like this Gibbs will put us on different teams, Abbs!"

Abby bit her lip. This was definitely not good. When Kate didn't speak to Tony, it was bad. Even though she sometimes hated his guts, Abby knew that Kate thought very high of her co-worker.

"Tony, to be honest. The best thing to do is to talk to her. If it doesn't work out, leave it there"

"But Abbs, I just can't ignore her. We're friends. I hope…" Tony protested.

"You crossed that line, Tony. You're not just friends anymore"

Tony sighed. God, this wasn't helping. But Abby asked him to ignore it, if Kate didn't want to talk to him then that was it. How the hell should he be able to ignore Kate? He met her almost everyday and probably spent more time with her than any other person. How could he just ignore her? Or his feelings for her? It was like Abby had read his mind, when she spoke again.

"You like her, huh?" Abby said, a hint of tease in her voice. Tony's lips cracked up in a small smile.

"Yeah…I guess I do. And that doesn't exactly make this any easier" Tony commented. "That's why I can't just ignore this like it never happened"

"Call her, Tony"

"What shall I tell her?"

"The truth" Abby answered simply.

"She will probably just laugh at me" Tony said wistfully. "She apologized when I kissed her"

"Tony, Kate is head over heels with you. Trust me, I'm her best friend. Best friends know such things"

Tony sighed again. Why did things have to get so complicated?

"If she sees it's me on the caller ID she won't pick up" Tony said.

"Then confront her tomorrow"

"I guess I have to. Thanks Abbs" Tony said with a smile and then left her alone. Abby sighed as he watched him leave and prayed that they would solve this before Gibbs got involved.

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**A/N: So, how was that one? Please review so I know what you think. I love your reviews! **


	6. Anger

Disclaimer: Not mine 

**A/N: Please please please review:D

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_Chapter 6 – Anger_

When Kate left the office that night she half-heartedly expected Tony to run after her. They hadn't spoken a work today and it was killing her. The night before wasn't something she was proud of. It had been an amazing kiss but as always her head began to over-analyse the situation. She knew deep inside that it was wrong. Romance between agents never works out. That's what Gibbs had said to her on Cuba. Maybe he had a point there.

But Tony didn't run after her. As she took seat in her car she had to realize that he wasn't going to come after her. Sighing, she started up her car and drove out of the parking lot. As she drove her mind was occupied with the day's events. They had done their paperwork on the Dornan case but they hadn't said a word to each other. Usually when they typed reports, Tony used to IM her or distract her from her work until she threatened to shoot him. But today he'd just glanced at her once in a while, nothing more. Not even his famous smile had showed off today.

Suddenly Kate felt angry with herself. Why couldn't she take a chance for once? Who said romance between co-workers always failed? She knew her feelings for Tony was more than just the brother/sister relationship she'd told him about on Cuba. And the fact that she hadn't pulled away immediately when he kissed her proved that she wanted more than just the teasing and flirtatious comments. Her hand gripped the stirring wheel tighter. When it came to relationships, why did she always had to be such a coward?!

It was like she was determined to doubt his intentions. That he was taken for "guilty" and not innocent. But that what exactly what you learned in this job; _Always guilty until definitely proven innocent´_ Kate just shook her head. This really sucked.

For God's sake! She was in love with him. That should be all that mattered. Their slight "hate" relationship in the beginning had grown so strong that it had developed into love. The line between hate and love was hair thin and they'd crossed it. Kate was still pretty angry when she pulled up outside her apartment. When she got in, she angrily tossed her purse on the floor and kicked of her shoes. She stomped off towards her bedroom and flopped down on her bed and buried her face in a pillow.

Tears began to roll down her face again. Kate hated to cry. But when she was really pissed or really sad she cried. And now she was angry. With herself. She'd been rude to him. He only wanted to help and he actually dared to admit his feelings by kissing her. And what had she done? She'd pulled away and kicked him out of her apartment. She had to talk to him. Before she fell asleep, fully dressed, Kate decided to talk to him first thing in the morning.

**A/N: Some more Kate philosophies…How was it? OOC? Please review and tell me if you think I should continue this story**


	7. Another reason for rule 12

**Disclaimer: Still not mine**

**A/N: Now we're on the seventh chapter. Please review so I know whether I should continue this story!

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_Chapter 7 – Another reason for rule 12_

The next morning, Tony woke up to the shrill ring of his cell phone. It was Gibbs.

"DiNozzo, new case. Meet me at this address" Gibbs said and gave up and address. "See you there" then he hung up in true Gibbs-manner, even before Tony got a chance to say anything.

"Good morning to you too, boss" he said for himself and slammed his cell shut. Then he slowly got out of bed and went to take a shower.

When he parked his car outside the warehouse the NCIS truck was already there. He put on his cap and exited his car.

"Hey, boss. What's up?"

"Crime scene. The owner to the warehouse called. There are big amounts of blood splashed on the walls. No body yet" Gibbs said coldly and then gestured for him to follow. Before entering the building they met up with Kate and McGee. Kate glanced at Tony who happened to the same. Their eyes locked for a second before Kate broke away.

Inside the warehouse they truly found big amounts of blood. All agents immediately began working on their tasks. Kate took photos, Tony did sketches and McGee collected evidence for Abby. All the agents were so absorbed with their tasks that they didn't notice the black car that pulled up on the backside of the building. It was when they heard gunfire that they all jerked up. Gibbs immediately grabbed his gun and ran out front where he saw the local police being fired at. Tony soon followed him and they began to shoot back.

"I've got the stuff, boss" McGee came running from the building when the situation was under control.

"Good McGee, then we can head…-" Gibbs' sentence was cut off by a loud bang. The agents fell to the ground as the explosion went off inside the building. Soon the building was on fire.

"Call the fire department, NOW!" Gibbs yelled and several police officers pulled out their cell phones.

Tony looked around. Something was off…Then it hit him and he immediately froze. Kate.

"Boss! Kate is still in there" he yelled. Then he began to take off towards the building. The flames were blazing out through the windows and a cloud of black smoke was now visible over the roof.

"DiNozzo, come back here!" Gibbs yelled. This was another reason to his rule number 12. Relationships between agents often lead to stupid decisions like this. Gibbs ran up to Tony before he reached the building, and firmly grabbed his arm.

"Let the fire fighters handle this, Tony" Tony just stared at him, as if he was crazy.

"Did you hear me, Kate is still in there!" He yelled from the top of his lungs. He could hear the sirens coming closer but he needed to get in. Kate was there for God's sake!

"TONY! NO! Come on, the fire department is on their way. You can't go in there, it's too dangerous!"

"You apparently didn't hear me! KATE IS IN THERE! KATE!! Do you hear me?" Tony yelled desperately and cast a worried glance at the building. Kate wouldn't survive long in there, especially not if she was unconscious. He needed to get her out. Determined Tony tried to escaped Gibbs' grasp.

"I heard you, Tony! But you _can't _go in there" Now the fire trucks and ambulances had arrived and at least a dozen of fire fighters and paramedics appeared.

Reluctantly, Tony let Gibbs drag him away from the building and let the fire fighters do their jobs. Tony sat down in back of the NCIS truck, his back to the fire. He couldn't stand watching it. _Kate was still in there. Was she even still alive? _The mere thought made him cold. Gibbs eyed his agents. McGee was staring intently at the warehouse as the fire fighters ran between the building and the trucks. Tony on the other hand, had disappeared around the NCIS truck. Gibbs sighed and prayed that Kate would pull out of this. If she didn't, he knew Tony wouldn't either.

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**A/N: Was it horrible? Please review!**


	8. No More

Disclaimer: Not mine 

**A/N: Please review!

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_Chapter 8 – No more_

Tony could hear the paramedics run around the area, pulling out gurneys and equipment. It felt like he sat there for an eternity before he dared to glance over his shoulder. Gibbs and McGee stood and silently watched the scene unfold. Tony slowly got up to join them. By now, paramedics began to come from the warehouse, running with the gurneys towards the ambulance. Tony counted them. Four. But to his horror neither of them was Kate. He recognized a few of the men who had shot at them. _What the hell was this? Why did they save these bastards? What about Kate? _

Tony now reached Gibbs and McGee. "Boss, what the hell are they doing? They're taking those scumbags but not Kate?!" he almost yelled. Gibbs shot him an indifferent glance.

"They haven't found her yet, DiNozzo" Gibbs said slowly.

"WHAT?!"

"They haven't found her, Tony" he repeated in a low voice.

"But how can…- she was right behind me when I ran out!" Tony began to pace back and forth. This had to be some kind of horrible nightmare. They had to find her, she had to be alive. He had to talk to her! She just couldn't…die like that! This was Kate they were talking about!

"Tony…" Gibbs voice snapped him back to reality. Tony jerked his head up to see three paramedics approach with a gurney. Kate. He barely recognized her. She had soot in her face and her eyes were closed. Without saying a word to Gibbs, Tony caught up with them.

"Is she okay?"

"Who are you?" the paramedic asked.

"It doesn't matter" he snapped "Is she okay?!" By now they'd reached the ambulance and a female paramedics dragged him away from Kate.

"Let go of me, I want to go with her"

"You can't. Let them do their job"

"But is she going to be okay?" Tony demanded firmly, eyes looking intently at the paramedic.

"Yes, she is. Now, let them go"

Helplessly, Tony watched them drive away. After gaining some composure, Tony walked back to Gibbs.

"She's going to be okay" he said absently.

"I know" was Gibbs only reply. After a while he added. "You can go. Go after them okay?" With a sigh of relief Tony ran for his car. This was it. No more beating around the bush. No more chicken out. He should talk to Kate!

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**A/N: Short, I know. I'll try to make the next chapter a bit longer. Please review anyway!! **


	9. I can't

**A/N: I still don't own NCIS. This is the nineth chapter. Please review!

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_Chapter 9 – I can't_

Kate was barely aware of where she was. She could recall the armed men storming into the warehouse, someone grabbing her from behind before the blast. Then it was got all blurry. She tried to open her eyes but it stung so she gave up. She could feel the oxygen mask that was placed around her mouth and she could her voices. Suddenly the vehicle came to a halt and she was rolled out of the ambulance and into an emergency department somewhere.

Once again she tried to open her eyes and this time she managed to crack her lids open a bit.

"She's waking up" someone said as they rolled her into an examination room.

"Check up her emergency contact" When she heard that Kate was fully awake. Tony. She remembered how he convinced her to put him up as her emergency contact. _They never call anyway, _Kate thought ironically as she remembered what he'd said.

"No need for that" another voice said above her head. "He's already here"

Kate couldn't help but feel a little bit relieved. Both over that it was someone she knew, and that someone was Tony.

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Tony sat on a chair in the waiting area, face in his hands. _Kate is going to be okay. _He kept convincing himself.

"Hey, Tony" A familiar voice said. Tony looked up and saw Gibbs sit down next to him.

"Hi, boss"

"Have you seen her yet?"

"Uhm, no…"

Tony turned his gaze back to the floor. Suddenly he felt very uneasy. The memories of the uncomfortable tension that had been between now came back.

"Come on, let's go" Gibbs said and motioned down the hall where Kate was. Still deep in thought Tony followed, suddenly reluctant to go down the hall. Gibbs noticed but didn't mention it. They walked down the hall but a few feet before Kate's room, Tony stopped.

"DiNozzo…-"

Tony was oblivious to Gibbs voice. He shouldn't do this. Kate wouldn't speak to him. He still remembered yesterday when she'd refused to even look at him. It would only be awkward.

"Boss…you go. I'll…um come in later"

"Tony, don't be silly. Come on"

"No, sorry, boss. I can't" Slowly Tony turned around and began to walk back to the waiting area. He couldn't talk to her yet. He wanted to but what should he tell her? He knew this wasn't like him, to avoid things but now it felt like he didn't have any other option.

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**A/N: Thanks for all your awesome reviews. Please review this chapter too, so I know if I should post another chapter! **

**//Ida**


	10. He turned around

**This is getting silly; I still don't own NCIS! So, now I've said it! Please review! Even if you don't like the story, I want to know what you think! And I know some of you wants longer chapters so I've done my best to write more.

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_Chapter 10 – He turned around_

Gibbs watched Tony walk down to the waiting room, shoulders hanging. Gibbs could tell that this was hard on his agent. He knew something serious must have happened since they didn't speak a word the day before. Casting one last glance at Tony's back before entering Kate's room. She had a cut above her eye and on her cheek. The soot was wiped off and she looked slightly better, though her eyes were still red.

"How are you feeling?" Gibbs asked gruffly. Kate looked up at him and shrugged. "Good I guess" Gibbs just stood in the doorway and watched her. He could that she wanted to ask about Tony since she he was at the hospital. After a few minutes of silence she cleared her throat.

"Um…where's Tony? Is he okay?"

"He's in the waiting area. He's fine"

"Maybe you could…you know…I want to talk to him"

Gibbs sighed. He really didn't want to get involved in this but what should he answer now; _Well, sorry Kate. Tony right outside your door but turned around and left_´

As the profiler she was, Kate read Gibbs expression pretty easy now. "He turned around. I saw when you watched after him" Kate turned down her face, surprised at how hurt she felt.

"Sorry, Kate" Gibbs mumbled. He saw the pain in her eyes. This woman had almost become like his daughter. He cared for her but he would never admit that out loud. Kate let out a bitter laugh.

"I don't blame him, I was rather rude to him the other day…" she said, not wanting to reveal to much.

"Yeah, I kind of noticed" Gibbs commented. The small smile on Kate's lips wiped off. "We have to work this out I know…It can't be like this at work huh?" she said seriously, still not looking up.

Gibbs sighed. She was right. Working like this on the field, with his agents ignoring each other, it could have fatal consequences.

"You should talk to him" Gibbs said, trying to sound as indifferent as he could. "I don't want to put one of you on another team" There, he was completely honest. To put away one of his agents and get another one. He knew that would split the whole team.

The mere thought of being placed on another team made Kate go cold. No way! She couldn't switch team! Since Tony had worked there longer than her, she knew she would be the one to leave if that was necessary. They had to work this out. The team was, except from her family, the most important persons in her life. They were like family too. Tony and she had to solve this. They couldn't act like teenagers and just hope it would gradually go away.

"We broke rule number 12" Kate said after a few longer moments of silence. "But it kind of…I screwed up. It was my fault" she added, not wanting to blame Tony. No, she couldn't blame him, even if he turned around and didn't want to talk to her. She'd been very cold yesterday. He didn't deserve it, even if he tortured her with sexist comments and insults.

"That's what I thought" Gibbs replied.

"I'm sorry, Gibbs. I know I promised when I resigned from Secret Service that I wouldn't do it again…But...-"

"It's okay, Kate" Not believing his own words Gibbs turned down his face. Surprised Kate now finally looked up. _What did Gibbs mean with that? Did he mean what she thought he meant?_

"Maybe you could convince him to come…We…um, still need to talk" Kate said. Gibbs nodded. Then he left to talk ot Tony.

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Kate watched her boss leave the room to find Tony. She leaned back against the pillows and felt a tears burn behind her lids. She hated to cry, but when she felt too overwhelmed and it got too complicated, she did cry. Like now. When Tony didn't even speak to her. He was one of her closest and to be honest, she didn't want to lose him. 

Gibbs hadn't yelled at her for breaking rule number 12. Which made this even worse. That had been Gibbs' way to _allow_ them to break rule 12. If they wanted to, they _could _be together. Kate sighed. She wanted to try, so badly. And then finally she'd made up her mind, but then Tony had turned around, which made her doubt her decision again. _Kate, realize it. That's what he'll do, he'll go away! He'll walk away!! _A small voice in the back of her head screamed but Kate shook her head violently. No, she tried to convince herself. This _was_ different. It had to be.


	11. Give it a try!

**Please review!!

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_Chapter 11 – Give it a try_

Tony heard steps and looked up. It was Gibbs.

"How is she?" Tony said looked down at his feet.

"Go and see for yourself" Gibbs said simply and sat down opposite from Tony. But Tony only shook his head.

"I can't, boss. And I know, you'll probably put us on different teams" Tony said, still peering the floor.

Gibbs sighed. He couldn't believe what he was about to do. He was about to _help _his agents break rule 12. But he saw no other option. Either that or he would be forced to put them on different teams, which would only make everything worse. It would be bad for all of them, for Abby, for McGee, for himself.

"DiNozzo, listen to me" Gibbs said and Tony looked up. "Talk to her, she wants to talk to you"

"She said that?" Tony asked slightly surprised. Gibbs nodded. "She told me about what happened" he said. Tony slowly nodded and raised his eyebrows.

"She did the right thing to kick me out, I don't blame her" Tony said. He knew he could be a complete bastard but screwing up things with Kate made him want to kill himself. Why had he been so incredibly stupid?! He knew he couldn't treat Kate like he did with all those other women he'd dated. This was _Kate. _

"And now I at least understand your rule 12, boss. It wouldn't work on the field" Tony admitted, staring at his hands.

"Since when do you two follow my rules?" Gibbs said with a slight smile. Shocked at what he'd heard Tony looked up. _Did Gibbs just say that? Technically, it's the same as Screw my rules´. _Tony eyed his boss and his mind was still processing Gibbs' line. Now things were really screwed up. They didn't have to bother about rule 12 anymore. They could be together if they only had courage to try.

"You're serious?" Tony managed to get out. Gibbs just shrugged. "Talk to her!" He couldn't believe that he played matchmaker. He knew what happened when romance between agents failed, it wasn't pretty, but with these two, they at least had to try. If it didn't work, they would have to deal with it later.

"I'm not sure, boss. I mean…-" Tony hesitated. What should he say to her?

"Go before I fire you!" Gibbs said and sounded more like himself. Sighing, Tony got up and slowly began to walk down the hall. _Give it a try, Tony. Gibbs won't fire you, so go for it! _A voice told him. Tony took a deep breath and stopped outside Kate's room. Through the window he saw he lie on her side, face away from him. She looked so small for once. Otherwise, he never saw her small or fragile. He knew she could kick his butt and that definitely made her grow a pair in his eyes. But now, seeing her apparently lost in thought, curled up under her blanket...

_She almost died today. _The horrifying thought slid into his mind and he froze. Kate could have died today. Tony wouldn't even dare to think about that. He might seem shallow and stupid and feelings like these didn't fit in his profile. But the strong feelings he had for this woman was not something temporary. It was real. He saw her move her arm to her face and he realized that she was crying.

Immediately that familiar feeling came back. The feeling of protecting her. He'd felt it ever since they were on that carrier, only weeks after she began working with them. When the bomb had went off in that office and his first thought had been if Kate was okay. And the only thought in his mind right now was the same. Kate had to be okay.

So slowly he opened the door and stepped inside.

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**A/N: Well, what will happen now? **


	12. Now or Never

**A/N: I'm planning another chapter after this. Please review and tell me if I should continue this story!

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_Chapter 12 – Now or never_

After a few minutes the door was cracked open again. Slowly she turned her head and saw Tony standing in the doorway. She swallowed nervously. What was he going to say?

"Hey, there" he said. Kate shifted and lay on her back, watching him.

"Hi…" she said, her voice hoarse. She couldn't help but smile inside when she saw his uncertain expression. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, she turned her eyes down at her hands.  
"You…okay? You scared me there" he said with a small smile. Kate offered him a faint smile back. It still felt tensed between them. Their conversation didn't float as natural as before. Kate hated this. This was Tony! She'd worked with him for more than two years! She trusted him with her life! It shouldn't be like this. This was silly!

"I'm okay" she replied after a while.

"Sure?" Tony wondered her without looking up. Kate let out a sigh.

"I'm okay, Tony" An uncomfortable silence lay between them before Tony glanced up at her. He hated this silence, he hated that he didn't know what to say. Those usual teasing conversations and jokes seemed so...distant right now. It was like they both were completely different persons.

"You talked to Gibbs?" Tony said slowly when she finally glanced up at him.

"Um..yeah. Sorry, but…" she trailed off and turned her face down again. How was she going to explain that one? Even if Gibbs had let rule number 12 pass, Tony didn't know that.

"Never mind, I think he figured it out yesterday" Tony mumbled still standing in the doorway, looking down on his feet. Kate eyed him, nervously fidgeting with her hands. He wasn't mad at her?

_It was now or never_, he thought. They had to talk about this. Today proved that he couldn't just run away from it and think it would solve itself. Today, he'd been unsure if he was ever going to see her again. Nervously he walked up to her bed and sat down on the edge. He turned his face up to her and searched for her gaze. Feeling his eyes on her Kate looked up. When Tony found her gaze he tentatively reached out and grabbed her hand. She didn't pull away. She didn't slap him. Instead she firmly laced her fingers with his.

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**A/N: Awfully short, I know. I'm so terribly sorry! I hope you want to read the next chapter anyway, I promise it'll be longer!**


	13. Still so much alike

**Disclaimer: Still not mine**

**A/N: This is the final chapter. I hope you like it!

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_Chapter 13 – Still so much alike_

Kate was surprised to find his hand tentatively search for hers but she immediately accepted it, locking their fingers and accepting the warmth from his hand. She had to take this chance 'cause she knew she would only get one and she wanted it.

After a few moments, Tony cleared his throat.

"Kate…I'm sorry. For everything, I mean…About yesterday, I'm sorry" he blurted out, now avoiding her gaze. He looked almost ashamed, not the usual confident DiNozzo she knew... and loved.

"No, don't apologize, Tony. I'm...I'm the one who should apologize. I know that you only wanted to help and I'm sorry for…being so cold" Kate said and tried to regain eye contact. Finally he met her eyes.

"So…we're okay? I mean, no more ignoring each other at work?" he said and smiled slightly. Kate smiled back. "No more ignoring each other at work" she agreed, relieved that it felt much better between them, now when they'd broke the first barrier. Tony squeezed her hand.

"About…what happened..." he began and Kate immediately knew what he meant. "Do you regret it?" Tony now wanted to know a while later.

Kate sighed. The question she'd waited for. Even if she knew what she wanted, she couldn't help but hesitate for a moment. Was she really ready to let down her guard? To let him in? She bit her lip. She owed him a reply by now. After taking a deep breath she made her decision.

She couldn't hide behind her walls forever. It would drive her crazy if she told him she regretted it, which she really didn't. And then she would drive herself insane while thinking about what could have been. No one ever had or did care about her like Tony did, even if he showed it in a very strange way sometimes, she knew that he was always there for her. He wouldn't snap at her for being late from work or being angry because she had to cancel a date. He understood. Now he looked up at her, waiting for her answer.

"No, I don't regret it" she said honestly, looking straight into his green eyes. "Do you?"

"No…no I don't " he replied. Suddenly a smile lit up his face and that glint of confidence and mischief in his eyes returned. Kate smiled too. The old DiNozzo was coming back again.

"Does it mean…that I can do it again?" he asked with that familiar hint of humor even if it held a rather serious question. Kate smiled widely at him.

"I guess it does" she murmured. Tony was still smiling as he leaned closer and put his lips to hers. She immediately responded and this time both of them were reluctant to pull away, but the lack of air forced them to.

"I'm so sorry, Kate" Tony said against her lips. "Don't be" was Kate's only reply before she pressed her lips against his once again. As she felt him reciprocate, she knew she'd done the right thing.

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Gibbs watched his agents through the small window in the door. Tony was bent over Kate, kissing her again. Reluctantly Gibbs admitted that his rule 12 maybe didn't concern _everyone. _Maybe Tony and Kate was the proof of the opposite. That romance between agents could work. 

By now, they had parted and Tony was tenderly stroking her cheek. Both of them wearing big smiles.

Involuntarily a small smile appeared on the older agent's face as well. He had to admit that those two fit perfectly together. They seemed to be so difference but deep inside they were so much alike. The held the exact same strength, stubbornness and determination. They'd learned to understand each other in away Gibbs would never get the hold of.

Even if it took a huge explosion for them to realize it, he was glad they had. He wasn't heartless; he cared very much for his agents, even if he would never admit that out loud. And he wanted them happy. Even if happy meant happy together. He knew that this was how it was going to be, how it was supposed to be.

Casting a last glance into the room, Gibbs turned around and left them alone, surprised that he actually helped them break his rule number 12.

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**A/N: THE END!! So, how was it? Was it a good ending? I would love some reviews on this chapter. If I should write a sequel, any ideas? Thanks so much for reading and reviewing. I really hope you enjoyed the story and that it wasn't too OOC. Maybe I will post an epilogue, stay tuned :P Thank you all so much again, for being patient with this story!**

**//Ida**


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